Yarn supporting body member having a centering element

ABSTRACT

Centering element for yarn-supporting body members, comprising a first portion securable to the internal surface of a supporting body member, and a second portion suitable to abut a spindle of a spinning machine or the like. Said first and second portions are interconnected through a flexible arm suitable to release the second portion from the radial deformations of the supporting body member and first portion.

United States Patent [72] lnventor Francesco Steffenini Via Pizzi 28, Milan, Italy [211 App]. No. 727,277 [22] Filed May 7, 1968 [45] Patented Jan. 19, 1971 [32] Priority May 12, 1967 [33] Italy [31 16027/67 [54] YARN SUPPORTING BODY MEMBER HAVING A CENTERING ELEMENT 10 Claims, 14 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 242/46.2l, 242/1 18.32 [5 1 Int. Cl B65h 75/10, B65h 75/30 [50] Field ofSearch ..242/1 18.32, 118.31, 118.3, 1l8.7,46.21, 46.2

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,066,884 12/1962 Rehn ...242/ 118.32U X 3,300,153 1/1967 Fenn 242/46.21 3,368,767 2/1968 Schmidt 242/118.3X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,092,908 11/1954 France 242/118.32 1,381,240 11/1964 France 242/l18.3 549,392 4/1932 Germany 242/46.21 669,368 4/1952 Great Britain 242/1 18.3

OTHER REFERENCES Algemene, Belgian Printed Application No. 629,761 Pub. 15-1963 242/'46.21

Primary Examiner-George F. Mautz Attorney-Steinberg & Blake YARN SUPPORTING BODY MEMBER HAVING A CENTERING ELEMENT This invention relates to a centering element for yarn-supporting body members and more particularly to a centering element, at least a portion of which is free of any deformation of the yarn-supporting body member on which such an element is provided. I

As known, either ribbonlike or threadlike yarns are received on differently. shaped supporting body members. such as cylindrical tubes, conical bobbins, or reels, intended to be inserted on spindles allowing or impartingthereto a rotary motion. In order that on yarn winding up or winding off from supporting body members no building up of vibrations or incorrect yarn distribution might occur, it is also known that the supporting bodymembers have to be mounted onto the spindles in such a way as to take or to maintain a position as accurate and steady relatively thereto; this means that the supporting body members have to be provided with centering elements on the spindles, which elements: should adhere to the external surface of the spindles with the slightest clearances possible. 7 t

In spinning machines, the yarn, prior to being wound up onto the supporting body member, is subjected to stretching: after stretching, all the yarns, and particularly those of a synthetic nature, will tend to shrink, i.e., to'become shorter. Additionally, the yarns are wound up onto the supporting body members witha winding-up tension which is dependent on the yarn nature and the particular spinning machine being used, said winding-up tensioncausing a yarn pressure on the supporting body member which shall withstand sucha pressure.

On the supporting bodymember there is also exerted by the yarn a pressure which is extremely higher than that causedby.

winding-up tension and which is due to yarn shrinkage, particularly where a synthetic yarn is involved, which shrinkage. as above disclosed, is a result of the stretching action exerted on the yarn. It was found that evenifa synthetic yarn is wound up onto a supporting body member by a rather inexistent windingup tension, the tension of the yarn as wound up on the supporting body member can cause a pressurethereon which might reach as high rates as 200 atmospheres.

Therefore, it is the problem in this art to provide a supporting body members for yarn supporting and such that, while maintaining the accurate and steady position with respect to the spindles, as hereinabove mentioned, a jamming thereof on the spindles by deformation of the supporting body members including the respective centering elements would be prevented.

According to known techniques, it has been hitherto attempted to provide supporting body members capable of withstanding without substantial deformations the considerable pressures being exerted by the yarns wound up thereon; thus, the walls for the supporting body members and the respective centering elements are usually made of rigid and resistant material, mostly of steel and sometimes of bakelized paper. The resisting wall of the supporting body member and the respective centering element on the spindle are rigidly interconnected and a deformation of the wall would tend to influence the centering element, resulting in that the supporting body member can no more, or very hardly be slipped off of the spindle on which it was mounted for yarn winding-up. Thus, it was attempted to provide supporting body members which are indeformable as far as possible, with the result that such supporting body members are of a heavy weight and very considerable cost. so that it was, and it is still now required to provide for the recovery of the supporting body members with apparent economical disadvantages influencing running expenses, as well as transport, maintenance and warehousing charges for such supporting body members.

Most of the mechanical resistance, and hence weight and cost of the supporting body members reside in that such body members have to be capable of supporting without any substantial deformation the pressure being exerted thereon as a result of yarn shrinkage and winding up tension.

Thus, it will be apparent that in a yarn-supporting body member it is highly desirable that, at least at that surface thereof which is intended to contact the spindle surface of spinning machines, the centering element is unaffected by any radial deformations of the supporting body member. Therefore, it is the object of the present inventionto providea centering element for yarn-supporting body members which is capable of holding the supporting body member at an accurate and steady position with respect to the driving spindle and which, at the same time, is such as to be unaffected by any deformations being experienced by the supporting body member, so that the latter can be readily slipped off of the spindle on winding-up completion.

It will be apparent that, should the yarn wound up on a supporting body member be allowedto at least partially shrink. the resistance to be provided by the supporting body member could be greatly reduced over that of the conventional supporting body members. Since yarn stretching in spinning machines occurs just prior to yarn winding up on the supporting body member, it is apparent that the only way for enabling the yarn to shrink is that of winding up on the supporting body members having decreasing diameters as the yarn is wound up thereon. However, in order to prevent such supporting body members from jamming on the spinning machine spindles on which they are mounted, it is required that the spindle-centering elements, they'have to be provided with, be free of supporting body member deformations, at least at the contacting area thereof with the spindles, asalready mentioned.

' Many are the materials useful in manufacturing supporting body members which are deformable as hereinabove disclosed, but it was found that plastic material is most advantageously utilizable owing to its low cost, workability and I light weight.

This and still other objects are attained by a centering ele- 'ment for yarn-supporting body members which is characterized by comprising a first portion securable to or however fast with the inner surface of a yarn-supporting body member, and at least a second portion suitable to abut a spindle for driving said supporting body member, the two portions being interconnected by at least one flexible arm integral to said be illustrated by mere way of example and not of limitation,

reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a fragmentary diagrammatic axial section view and a cross section according to line II-II of FIG. 1, respectively, for a supporting body member provided with an embodiment of the centering element;

FIGS. 3, 5 and 6 are axial sectional views showing some portions of supporting body members provided with different embodiments of the centering element; 7

FIG. 4 is a cross section taken on line IV-IV of the supporting body member in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a cross section taken on line VII-VII of the supporting body member in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary axial section of a supporting body member provided with a further embodiment of the centering element;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are axial sectional views showing the top ends of two supporting body members provided with two different embodiments for the centering element; and

FIGS. 11, I2, 13 and 14 are fragmentary, diagrammatic axial sections for supporting body members other than those shown in the preceding FIGS.

Firstly referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that there is shown a supporting body member I of a cylindrical tubular shape, on which a yarn winding 2 is received, said body member I being slipped onto a spindle 3 of a spinning machine; at the bottom of spindle 3 there are provided teeth a engaging in notches at the lower end of body member I. An:

annular member 5 projects from the inner wall ofthe supporting body member. a flexible arm axially extending therefrom and comprising a tubular wall 6 having at its free end an enlargement 7 defining an annular bore in which the upper end of spindle 3 is accommodated Considering FIG. 1. it will be clearly seen that should the wall of the supporting body member I radially deform during yarn winding-up. this deformation would influence said annular member 5. without being transferred to enlargement 7 as taken up by deflection by the tubular wall 6. so that said supporting body member can be readily slipped off of spindle 3 even though on supporting body member being empty the clearances between the inner surface of enlargement 7 and outer surface of spindle 3 were substantially reduced to nonexistence.

In FIGS. 3 and 4 there are shown a fragmentary axial section and a cross section. respectively. for a supporting body member comprising a tubular wall 8 of an increasing thickness from the ends to the median zone thereof. internally of which longitudinal finnings 9 project parallel to the axis of the tubular wall and radially extending from said wall; a centering element is fast with the supporting body member and comprises an annular member 10, from which a flexible arm projects as comprised of a tubular wall 11 extending in an axial direction and at its upper end 12 being inwardly bent so as to adhere against the outer surface of spindle 3.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is similar to that of FIG. 3. except that the centering element is comprised of an annular member 13 having a cylindrical external surface. from which an axial tubular wall 14 extends and has its top end inwardly bent similarly to the disclosure in connection with FIG. 3. However, the centering element of FIG. 5 is not integral to the supporting body member which comprises an external wall 15 having longitudinal finnings and a ring 16 on which said annular member 13 is forced and held at a steady position.

The centering element shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is substantially the same as that of FIGS. 1 and 2 and the supporting body member of which it forms a part differs from that of FIGS. 1 and 2 by comprising a wall 17 internally of which spirallike finnings project, such as at 18. An annular member 19 also projects from wall 17 and extends within a flexible tubular wall 20 having at its top end an enlargement 21 defining a circular bore in which said spindle 3 is inserted and accommodated.

The supporting body member of FIG. 8 includes a wall 22, having a cylindrical external surface internally of which there are provided a plurality of spirallike finnings 23. Adjacent the top end of wall 22 a radial disc or plate 24 inwardly projects and from which a tubular wall 25 downward extends, defining an inner bore in which said spindle 3 is accommodated and holds said supporting body member at a steady position, was ing the latter to rotate.

FIG. 9 shows the axial section for the top end only of a supporting body member comprised of a wall 26 having a cylindrical external surface internally of which a plurality of spirallike finnings 27 project. On the top of the supporting body member there is mounted a centering element comprising a disc or plate 28 having a cylindrical external surface from which a tubular wall 29 downward extends, having at its bottom end an enlargement 30 in which the top end of spindle 3 is inserted and accommodated.

In FIG. 10 there is shown a further embodiment of a supporting body member having a springed centering element, wherein the supporting body member comprises two cylindrical tubular walls 31 and 32 internal to each other and interconnected and made integral by a filling material 33. such as foamed plastic material. The centering element is fast with wall 32, and is of a shape substantially similar to that of FIG. 1 and comprises an annular member 34 projecting from wall 32 and extending within a tubular wall 35. the top end of which has an enlargement 36 defining a bore in which said spindle 3 is inserted.

FIG. 11 shows a yarn-supporting body member comprising a tubular wall 41 having internal and external cylindrical surfaces of a circular cross section. From the internal surface of wall 41 there projects a centering element. a first portion 42 of which is secured to wall 41 and a second portion 43 of which abuts spindle 3. Portions 42 and 43 of the centering element are interconnected by a continuous flexible arm 45 integral to said portions and substantially suitable to substantially release portion 43 from radial deformations of portion 42.

A ring 46 is secured at the bottom and internally of said tubular wall 41. such a ring 46 having notches in which the teeth 4 at the base of spindle 3 are accommodated.

A very significant feature for the supporting body member of FIG. I. as well as for the other members shown in the drawings, resides in being made of plastic material of such a nature and with such a thickness ofv wall 41 as to enable said wall to deform by decreasing its diameter under the pressure being exerted thereon by yarn 2. Deformation of wall 41 will not cause jamming of the centering element on spindle 3 since portion 43 of the centering element is released of the radial deformation of portion 42 owing to deflection of arm 45. It has been found through practical tests that the radial deformation of wall 41 will involve an increase in thickness and length of such a wall.

The supporting body member of FIG. 12 comprises a tubular wall of a composite structure as being formed of two separate tubular wall members, designated by reference numerals 49 and 50, respectively. overlapping on each other. Adjacent the bottom end of wall member-50 notches are provided for accommodating teeth 4 of spindle 3. whereas adjacent the top end of said wall member 50 the centering element is provided, a portion 51 of which abuts said spindle 3 and is connected through a continuous arm 52 to wall member 50 forming that portion of the centering element which is secured to the tubular wall of the supporting body member. Similarly to the disclosure in connection with FIG. 1 l, the nature of the plastic material being utilized for the supporting body element and thickness of wall members 49 and 50 are such as to enable said wall members to contract under the pressure being exerted thereon by the wound up yarn, and such is the centering element that its portion 51 is released of the radial deformations in wall members 49 and 50. By practical tests it could also be found that a supporting body member having a tubular wall ofa composite structure as that shown in FIG. 12 exhibits a higher resistance than that of a supporting body member having an even tubular wall, the material and wall thickness being the same.

The supporting body member. only a portion of which corresponding to the top end has been shown in an axial sectional view in FIG. 13, is substantially similar to that of FIG. 12 and also comprises a composite tubular wall formed of a tubular wall member 44 and a tubular member 53 internal thereto. the centering element being fast therewith. The supporting body member of FIG. 13 differs from that of FIG. .12 only in that the tubular wall member 53 extends above the centering element.

In fig. 14 an axial sectional view is shown of a portion for a supporting body member substantially similar to that of FIG. 11 and comprising a tubular wall 54, the latter being fast with a centering element, a portion 55 of which abuts spindle 3 and is connected through a flexible arm 56 to a portion 57 of said centering element, said portion 57 being secured to the internal surface of tubular wall 54.

As seen from the FIGS. which have been illustrated referring to the drawing, the centering element can be made integral to the supporting body member, or can be provided independently of the supporting body member, on which it can be mounted after said supporting body member is obtained.

The supporting body member can be of any shape known in theart, and can be made as well of different materials already utilized in the art, such as plastic material. metal, cardboard or the like. However. it should be appreciated that the use of the springed centering element will enable the provision of a supporting body member with a substantially lower amount of material with respect to the requirements for the provision of supporting body members of the prior art. thus allowing to obtain supporting body'members of a somewhat reduced weight and hence of a lower cost over that of equal supporting body members, the lower weight also affording said supporting body members to be rotated on the spindles at a substantially higher speed than in the prior art.

It will thus be seen that with the structure of the invention as described above, the yarn support has the outer tubular wall which directly carries the yarn and which can be deformed thereby. This outer tubular wall of the yarn support surrounds the centering means which has the inner portion, such as the portion 7 of FIG. 1 or the portion 55 of FIG. I4, directly surrounding and located in close proximity to the spindle 3 with the inner surface of this inner portion having in cross section a configuration matching the cross section of the spindle. The centering means also has the outer portion located directly next to the tubular wall of the yarn support, and of course there is the intermediate annular portion which interconnects the outer and inner portions of the centering means. Even though the inner portion of the centering means is of a material which has the same properties as the remainder of the centering means, this remainder of the centering means including the intermediate portion which is flexible, nevertheless the flexibility of the intermediate portion of the centering means is such that it will insuiate the inner portion from the deforming forces preventing any jamming or cramping of the inner portion on the spindle with the deformation being taken up by the flexibility of the intermediate portion of the centering means, so that in this way with an inner portionof the centering means of the same material as the remainder of the centering means the deformation forces will never reach the inner portion of the centering means to deform the latter for tightly clamping the spindle. It thus becomes unnecessary to resort to such measures as making the inner portion of the centering means of a material of sufficient rigidity to avoid gripping the spindle due to the deformation forces resulting from the tightness of the yarn wound on the outer tubular wall of the yarn support. Furthermore. it is possible to provide a construction where the entire yarn support including the centering means and the outer tubular wallare very inexpensively molded in one piece of a homogeneous material throughout.

A further feature of the structure of the invention resides in the fact that the inner part of the centering means which directly surrounds the spindle is of a relatively short length as compared to theintermediate part of the centering means which extends from this inner part to the outer part which is connected to the tubular wall which carries the yarn. Thus, in FIG. 1 it will be noticed that the tubular part 6 is of a length considerably greater than the part 7, and of course in FIG. 14 the part 55 has an elongated tubular portion extending therefrom, and having a somewhat greater inner diameter surrounding the spindle 3 while being considerably longer than the portion 55. Even with embodiments such as those shown in FIGS. 10-43 this relationship applies. Thus, in FIG. 13 the frustoconical intermediate portion of the centering means has an axial length longer than the tubular inner portion which directly surrounds the spindle, and the same of course is true of FIG. 12. Thus, with the structure of the invention, the intermediate portion of the centering means has an elongated tubular configuration whose axial length is greater than the axial length of the part of the centering means which forms the inner portion thereof and directly surrounds the spindle.

It is clear, therefore, that the intermediate flexible part of the centering means forms a yieldable means for insulating the inner part of the centering means from the deformation forces which act on the outer tubular wall of the yarn support.

The above features, as mentioned in brief, are all obviously provided in that said portion of the springed centering element, which in FIGS. has been referred to as the annular member and which is fast with or contacts the internal surface of the supporting body member, can deform should the external surface of said supporting body member deform, but this deformation does not transfer, or negligibly transfers to that portion of the centering element contacting the spindle on which the supporting body member is mounted.

It is apparent that the portion of the centering element contacting or intended 'to contact the spindle, as already mentioned, rather than being made as a continuous annular member, can be comprised of a plurality of segments or fingers projecting from the annular member secured to the inner wall of the supporting body member.

The supporting body members, as shown in the drawings. can be conveniently made so as to exhibit the feature of deforming, taking up the considerable pressure being exerted thereon by the yarn. The deformation of the supporting body member essentially consists of a reduction in the diameter of said supporting body member. an increase in the width of the section for the tubular wall of the body member, and an extension in said wall. This deformation enables the yarn to release the contraction or shrink due to stretching being caused on the yarn prior to winding up, thus reducing to minimal values. or substantially removing the pressure said yarn would exert on a resistant and known type of supporting body member.

In order to practically show the efficiency of a supporting body member according to the invention, 1.500 kg. of multifilament nylon count 40/l0 was wound up on a polystyrene supporting body member, the wall thicknessof which being only 2 mm., and weighing grams, and it was found that said body member completely satisfactorily accomplishes all the functions being required therefrom and affords an even winding-up of the yarn and a ready slipping-off of the bobbin from the spindle. The supporting bodymember used was of the shape as shown in FIG. 14.

According to the prior art, it is required for winding up such a yarn as that above mentioned to employ a steel tube or supporting body member of 0.500 kg. weight, which weight can not be reduced as the supporting body member has to withstand a pressure of about 200 atmospheres exerted thereon by the yarn as due to the shrinkage or contraction of said yarn. As a proof of the exactness of the above statement, the walls of the steel supporting body member were thinned and the weight thereof reduced to 350 grams, and it was found that on yarn winding up said body member yielded or subsided being unutilizable by deformation at about one half of the amount load and count formerly used.

Another test was carried out by winding up 2.500 kg. of yarn count 40/l0 on an ordinary tube of layer wound bakelized paper and weighing 350 grams, in accordance with conventional techniques. It was found that a tube of a shape as any of those shown in the FIGS. of the accompanying drawings, made of polystyrene and of a weight less than 200 grams, is quite efficient to effectively support the above yarn.

As it can be seen from the two above disclosed numerical examples, the supporting body members, preferably of plastic material, according to the invention are at a same functionality of conventional supporting body members of a substantially lower weight than the latter and cost which is about onefourth or less than that of the usual supporting body members. Inter alia, this enables to achieve substantial savings in transportation and avoids the need of resorting to the expensive recovery of supporting body members, as in the case of the prior art.

lclaim:

l. A yarn support comprising an outer tubular wall for directly carrying a body of yarn at the exterior surface of said tubular wall, and centering means situated within and surrounded by said tubular wall for centering the latter with respect to a drive spindle, said centering means having an inner portion for directly surrounding the spindle, and said inner portion having an inner surface of substantially the same cross-sectional configuration and size as the cross section of said spindle, and said centering means having an outer portion located at the inner surface of said tubular wall, said centering means having between said inner and outer portions thereof a flexible intermediate portion for yielding with said outer portion of said centering means when deformation occurs at said tubular wall, said inner portion of said centering means extending along the axis of said tubular wall and said intermediate portion of' said centering means having next to said inner portion an elongated part also extending along said axis and having an inner diameter different from that of said inner portion. and said intermediate portion of said centering means forming a means for insulating said inner portion of said centering means from the deformation forces so that said inner portion of said centering means will be prevented from tightly gripping orjamming on a spindle.

2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said inner portion of said centering means is made of a material having the same properties as the material which forms the intermediate and outer portions of said centering means.

3. The combination of claim 2 and wherein the tubular wall is also made of the same material as the entire centering means, with the centering means being integral with the tubular wall and molded as a one'piece body therewith.

4. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said intermediate portion of said centering means has along the axis of said tubular wall a length greater than the length of said inner portion of said centering means.

5. The combination of claim 4 and wherein said intermediate portion of said centering means forms a tubular ex tension of said inner portion of said centering means and has an inner surface of a greater diameter than the inner surface of said inner portion of said centering means surrounding the axis of said tubular wall and forming a shoulder with the inner surface of said inner portion of said centering means.

6. The combination ofclaim l and wherein said tubular wall has an exterior surface of cylindrical configuration and circular cross section.

7. The combination ofclaim 6 and wherein said tubular wall has an inner surface which is also ofcylindrical configuration.

8. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said tubular wall increases in thickness from its opposed ends toward a median zone thereof. 1

9. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said tubular wall has integrally formed therewith at its interior longitudinally extending fins which extend parallel to the axis of said tubular wall and which project radially from the inner surface thereof toward said axis.

10. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said tubular wall has at its inner surface a plurality of fins which extend spirally around the axis of said tubular wall projecting from the inner surface thereof toward said axis, and the entire tubular wall, including said tins, and including the entire centering means are all formed ofa one-piece plastic body. 

1. A yarn support comprising an outer tubular wall for directly carrying a body of yarn at the exterior surface of said tubular wall, and centering means situated within and surrounded by said tubular wall for centering the latter with respect to a drive spindle, said centering means having an inner portion for directly surrounding the spindle, and said inner portion having an inner surface of substantially the same cross-sectional configuration and size as the cross section of said spindle, and said centering means having an outer portion located at the inner surface of said tubular wall, said centering means having between said inner and outer portions thereof a flexible intermediate portion for yielding with said outer portion of said centering means when deformation occurs at said tubular wall, said inner portion of said centering means extending along the axis of said tubular wall and said intermediate portion of said centering means having next to said inner portion an elongated part also extending along said axis and having an inner diameter different from that of said inner portion, and said intermediate portion of said centering means forming a means for insulating said inner portion of said centering means from the deformation forces so that said inner portion of said centering means will be prevented from tightly gripping or jamming on a spindle.
 2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said inner portion of said centering means is made of a material having the same properties as the material which forms the intermediate and outer portions of said centering means.
 3. The combination of claim 2 and wherein the tubular wall is also made of the same material as the entire centering means, with the centering means being integral with the tubular wall and molded as a one-piece body therewith.
 4. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said intermediate portion of said centering means has along the axis of said tubular wall a length greater than the length of said inner portion of said centering means.
 5. The combination of claim 4 and wherein said intermediate portion of said centering means forms a tubular extension of said inner portion of said centering means and has an inner surface of a greater diameter than the inner surface of said inner portion of said centering means surroUnding the axis of said tubular wall and forming a shoulder with the inner surface of said inner portion of said centering means.
 6. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said tubular wall has an exterior surface of cylindrical configuration and circular cross section.
 7. The combination of claim 6 and wherein said tubular wall has an inner surface which is also of cylindrical configuration.
 8. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said tubular wall increases in thickness from its opposed ends toward a median zone thereof.
 9. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said tubular wall has integrally formed therewith at its interior longitudinally extending fins which extend parallel to the axis of said tubular wall and which project radially from the inner surface thereof toward said axis.
 10. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said tubular wall has at its inner surface a plurality of fins which extend spirally around the axis of said tubular wall projecting from the inner surface thereof toward said axis, and the entire tubular wall, including said fins, and including the entire centering means are all formed of a one-piece plastic body. 